50 Small Business Ideas You Can Start on Instagram

You already know that Instagram can be a great platform to market your business. But did you know that you can also build an entire business around the platform?

While many businesses will eventually require you to have a website or other offerings, there are plenty of different businesses you can get started with nothing more than an Instagram account. Here are 50 of them.

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Instagram Business Ideas

Instagram Influencer

One of the best ways to make money from Instagram is by becoming an influencer. To do this, you need to build up an audience in a specific niche — and there are a lot of different options — then work with brands to share content related to their products or services.

Product Reviewer

More specifically, you can build up some influence and then offer to share reviews of specific products, sharing your thoughts in videos or captions.

Instagram Manager

You can also work with brands as a social media manager that specializes in posting on Instagram.

Social Commerce Seller

It’s also possible to sell products directly on Instagram using a buy button or posting products for sale and then invoicing your followers who show interest.

Affiliate Marketer

You can also use your Instagram account and Instagram Story to share affiliate links to specific products or services and then earn a commission on each sale.

Digital Product Seller

If you sell digital products like ebooks or printables, you can use Instagram as your main method of sharing your offerings with potential customers.

Event Photographer

Instagram is also a great platform for photographers to build a business around. If you’re an event photographer, you can share photos from the events you work and then include an email address in your bio so new clients can contact you.

Stock Photographer

You can also take stock photos that you can sell to brands or businesses looking to build up their Instagram content.

Product Photographer

Or you can offer a service where you take photos of products for ecommerce businesses to use on their websites and social media accounts.

Portrait Photographer

Portrait photography is another niche within the photography business. For this type of business, you can use Instagram as a portfolio and offer a way for new clients to get in touch with you.

Printed Products Seller

If you’re a photographer or designer, you can create unique images and then have them printed on various products like t-shirts and mugs, then use Instagram to promote your offerings.

Prop Stylist

Instagram is also a great place to showcase your talent as a stylist. You can organize photoshoots and use your Instagram account as a way to showcase your style and offerings to brands.

Instagram Food Channel

Fashion Blogger

You can also start a sort of fashion blog directly on Instagram, sharing photos of your outfits and working with clothing brands as an influencer.

Personal Stylist

Also in the fashion niche, you can use Instagram to show off your style and then let potential clients contact you to procure your services as a personal stylist.

DIY Expert

Another niche you can focus on with your Instagram account is to post tutorials and DIY projects to help your followers learn new techniques. Then you can work with sponsors and brands that offer supplies for your projects.

Baker

Instagram is also a great place to show off your baking skills, especially if you offer cookies or items that have cool decorative elements. You can post your creations and let customers place orders with you directly.

Food Blogger

Or you can make food items that you don’t actually sell, but instead offer recipes and then work with grocery and food brands as an influencer.

Travel Blogger

You can also work with travel brands like airlines and hotels by sharing your travels and some useful travel tricks and tips with your followers.

Lifestyle Blogger

Or you can take a more general approach with your Instagram content and then work with a variety of different brands that might appeal to your target followers.

Makeup Artist

Since makeup is a visual medium, and Instagram is a visual platform, it’s a great place to show off your work and then offer potential clients a way to book your services.

Hair Stylist

Similarly, you can post pictures of your work as a hairstylist and then let customers email or message you to set up an appointment.

Handmade Business Owner

Instead of relying on a platform like Etsy or setting up your own ecommerce site, you can post photos of handmade products and let customers claim or bid on them in the comments.

Illustrator

Instagram is also a great platform for visual artists like illustrators. Post photos of your work and then let customers order prints of different images or order custom work.

Custom Portrait Artist

Or you can take a more service based approach to selling your artwork. Use your Instagram account as a portfolio and let customers order custom portraits of their families.

Graphic Designer

You can also use Instagram as a portfolio for your graphic design work and then let clients contact you directly to procure your services.

Infographic Designer

Or you can get even more specific and offer infographic design services, using Instagram to post interesting examples of your work.

Lettering Service

You can also offer custom lettering or calligraphy services to brands or individuals that want to put a unique touch on things like signs or wedding invitations. Use Instagram to show off your work.

Videographer

While photos get a lot of the attention, Instagram also lets users post short videos. So you can start a business as a videographer and use the platform to show off your skills. (Remember Instagram videos are quite short so you will have to be creative!)

Animator

Or you can specialize in animations for videos and showcase your work through Instagram.

Musician

You can also post videos of yourself singing or playing music on Instagram and let people book your services for weddings or special events. (Again, the brevity of videos on Instagram will require a very creative approach to make this work.)

Magician

Similarly, if you have a unique talent like performing magic tricks or juggling, you can show off your skills in Instagram videos and give people a quick way to get in touch with you to book your services for events.

Comedian

You can also show off short bits of a stand-up comedy routine on Instagram and share your funny personality with people who might be interested in booking your services.

Secondhand Goods Seller

If you have some vintage or secondhand goods to sell, you can use Instagram as a platform where you can post each item and then let customers place bids if they want to purchase.

Brand Ambassador

There are a number of unique ways you can use Instagram to post about a specific brand or product. And if you grow enough of a following, you might be able to make some extra money or get some extra perks thanks to those posts.

Pet Personality

It might sound crazy, but you can actually start an Instagram account that revolves around a pet or animal, then build a brand around it as popular examples like Grumpy Cat have demonstrated.

Public Speaker

For those looking to offer services as a public speaker, you can use your Instagram account to share your expertise and even offer examples of your talks through Instagram Live.

Webinar Host

You can also build a business around offering webinars on a particular subject, using Instagram as a way to grow your audience and show off your expertise.

Live Event Promoter

Instagram is also a great place to promote live events. So if you want to build a business as an event promoter, you can rely heavily on the platform.

Event Organizer

Or you can offer more in-depth services as an event organizer, using Instagram as a way to showcase your work and communicate with potential clients.

Meme Maker

Brands will sometimes pay for people to make memes as a way of creating some buzz. So you can use Instagram as a way to make and share memes.

Photo Editing App

If you have the skills to develop an app, you can build your app around Instagram, creating photo or video editing features for other users.

Instagram Consultant

Or if you want to share your Instagram expertise with others, you can work as a consultant, using your own account to share your expertise.

Advertising Specialist

You can also get even more specific by offering Instagram advertising services to brands looking to leverage those options in their marketing.

Instagram Contest Service

Contests are another popular method for promoting a brand on Instagram. So you can offer a service where you manage contests and giveaways.

Business Coach

You can also use Instagram to offer more general consulting services to other businesses, simply using the platform to share your knowledge and build up your credibility with potential clients.

Life Coach

Or you can get even more general and offer life coaching services, using posts for quick advice and Instagram Live for more in-depth content.

Fitness Coach

You can also focus on another area for your coaching business like fitness. Use the video feature to really show off your expertise.

Online Course Creator

You might also create some online courses that people can purchase to learn more about using Instagram and marketing on the platform.

Live Workshop Instructor

Or you can focus on teaching live classes on a specific subject, using Instagram to promote your offerings and book students.

Annie Pilon is a Senior Staff Writer for Small Business Trends, covering entrepreneur profiles, interviews, feature stories, community news and in-depth, expert-based guides. When she’s not writing she can be found on her personal blog Wattlebird, and exploring all that her home state of Michigan has to offer.

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